Fivio Foreign brings plenty of character and Brooklyn Drill intensity to his XXL Freshman Freestyle.
Typically, one sees a video with “Freestyle” in the title and immediately expects to see bars, a fair assessment to be sure. But ever since the XXL Freshman Classes began moving away from celebrating lyrically-inclined rappers, it’s been somewhat of a mixed bag in the freestyle department. To be fair, one cannot blame XXL for this, as they’re simply proving an accurate picture of today’s most popular young artists. The trouble starts when longstanding traditions like cyphers and freestyles are preserved, thrust upon rappers who simply cannot thrive in such an environment.
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In the case of Fivio Foreign, a talented pioneer in the rising Brooklyn Drill movement, many were interested to see how his freestyle would fare. Now, it has arrived in full glory, clocking in at a little under one minute and thirty seconds. Sticking to the acapella format, Fivio immediately sets a tone with high octane energy, his violent inclinations fired off one lyric at a time. “Steppin on, weapon drawn, big clip extra-long,” he spits. “Bow! You step to me that means you steppin’ wrong.”
His drill habits quickly become evident, embedded within his flow; beneath the staccato delivery, you can all but hear the warbling synthesizers and breakneck snares. If anything, you have to admire his commitment to getting off the perfect ad-libs, not to mention his imaginative flexes. “I’m never running out of liquor,” he boasts. “I’m in the club with a hundred thousand n***as.” Think about it — the second line makes the first line so much more impressive.
Check it out for yourself, and sound off — how do you think Fivio Foreign fared in his freestyle? And for more from the rapper, check out his official episode of How To Roll exclusively on HNHH right here.